Volunteers produce at least 10 Little Free Libraries

From left, Sheyvette Dinkens and Kim Daugherty began working Sunday morning on the Little Free Library Build Day, where they hoped to complete 10 to 15 libraries.

A group of volunteers has made at least 15 new Little Free Libaries for front yards around Topeka.

Sheyvette Dinkens, executive director of Women Empowerment Inc., said the organization has nearly 50 libraries built around Topeka and has 40 people on the waiting list — some of whom have been waiting nearly two years — to get a library in their yard.

“Our goal is to complete that waiting list by August,” Dinkens said.

Although Sunday morning was rainy, Dinkens said she hoped that wouldn’t deter people from coming to help with the build. She said previous build days have brought in 15 to 30 volunteers.

Women Empowerment Inc. teamed up with Kim and James Daugherty in 2012 to start working on the libraries, using them as a tool to promote literacy among young people in the community. Since the books are free, people just replace the one they took with another or bring it back when they are finished. Dinkens said the organization is in need of children’s books, which can be donated at any of the libraries around town or at Women Empowerment Inc.’s office at 1248 S.W. Buchanan.

Using the little library is not only a good way to find new books, but it can be used as a good way to interact with your neighbors, Dinkens said.

“James pretty much pre-cuts all (the) pieces and then we have build days for people to assemble them,” Dinkens said. “All the books are donations. We have a citywide book drive every year. Last year we had five organizations that participate, and those books acutally helped us kind of go along the whole year so we could keep the library stocked.”

The steward, or homeowner where the libraries are placed, also keeps them stocked, as well.

It is common to see little free libraries that the Daughertys and Women Empowerment Inc., haven’t been a part of, but Dinkens said she will try to get photos of them posted to the organization’s Facebook page in order to get the word out.

The main requirement the organization has to follow when installing the library is to keep it 5 feet away from the curb.